Museum Directory

Did you know?
The Eastham Historical Society maintains museums at the 1741 Swift-Daley complex located at 2375 State Highway in Eastham and at the 1869 Schoolhouse Museum, located at 25 Schoolhouse Road. In addition, they operate the Ranlett Tool Museum, Dill Beach Camp and The Olde Gift Shop.

In 1859, the Swift-Daley house was occupied by Nathaniel Swift, who with his brother Gustavus of North Eastham, soon moved to Chicago and founded the Swift meat packing empire.

The 1869 Schoolhouse Museum is located at 25 Schoolhouse Road at the intersection with Nauset Road across from the National Seashore Visitor Center. It is housed in a one-room schoolhouse built in 1869. The original and remaining one of the three schoolhouses consolidated on that site in 1906, it served the town until 1936 when the last pupils moved to a newer building.

The old building stood abandoned until 1963 when the newly-formed Eastham Historical Society looked about for a place to house the town’s historical treasures. The school building, then well on its way to decrepitude, was purchased, restored, and became a museum.

In 2008 a new museum addition was opened. The museum displays objects from the various facets of the town’s history including farming, shipwrecks, the Life Saving Service, Native American artifacts, the school and daily life in town. The schoolroom, now a children’s “hands on” museum complete with its original schoolmaster’s desk, is furnished to replicate how it looked in earlier days.  Children of all ages are encouraged to sit at the desks, look at the books and “play school.”

2021 Hours
The 1869 Schoolhouse will open on July 7th and will be open on Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays between 10AM - 3PM throughout July & August.​

The Swift-Daley House will open on July 7th and will be open on Wednesdays and Fridays between 10AM - 1PM throughout July & August.